Celestron Prepares for Two Rare and Exciting Celestial Events

May 9, 2012

Telescope pioneer is offering an easy way to view the 2012 annular solar eclipse and Transit of Venus.

Torrance, CA (May 10, 2012) – Celestron, a leading designer and manufacturer of award-winning innovative products for the astronomy, science and outdoor markets, recently released two new solar observing telescopes to help you enjoy the annular eclipse of the Sun on May 20th and transit of Venus June 5th and 6th.

The annular eclipse on May 20th will offer observers a rare and spectacular view as the Moon passes directly between the Sun and Earth. Although the Moon will pass directly in front of the Sun, it will not totally block it out because its orbit will be further away from Earth making its apparent diameter smaller than the Sun. As a result, at mid-eclipse, the Sun will appear as an annulus, also called a Ring of Fire. Visible in the western part of the United States, it will be the first central eclipse of the 21st century in the continental USA, and also the first annular eclipse in the US since the solar eclipse of May 10, 1994.

Among the rarest of planetary alignments, the transit of Venus takes place in the US on June 5th. The entire transit will be visible across western North America and Hawaii and will be the last opportunity for most to view this magnificent event in their lifetime. Only six transits of Venus have happened since the invention of the telescope. Occurring in pairs, with eight years separating the two events and more than a century between the pair of transits. The first transit of this century’s pair took place in June 2004, prior to that the last transit was in December 1882 and the next transit will not take place until December 2117! This is a very rare event and should not be missed!

In celebration of these spectacular events, Celestron is introducing two new solar edition telescope packages to make your observations easy! Solar Observer 60 and Solar Observer 70 are easy to use, include a solar filter for safe observing and are compact enough to take to your favorite viewing location! You can use these versatile telescopes for solar viewing during the day and stargazing at night!

“These grand celestial events are rare and magnificent to behold.” said Celestron CEO, Joseph A. Lupica, Jr. “Encouraging the public to experience these events provides Celestron with the opportunity to accomplish its mission; to educate and inspire people to look up and enjoy the sky.”

Visit Celestron’s website and Facebook page to access more information about our two new Solar Observer models and learn interesting facts about these exciting 2012 celestial events; you can even upload images and share stories of your observations and experiences. Join Celestron in the excitement and create your own memories of this occasion.

About CelestronSince designing its first telescope in 1960, Celestron has grown to become the world’s leading telescope maker, and enjoys brand name recognition for superior optics, outstanding design, and innovative technology. For five decades, Celestron has been recognized as a leading designer, manufacturer and importer of high-quality products that support the astronomy, science and outdoor markets. Celestron’s innovative products continue to receive numerous industry and consumer media accolades, adding to an already impressive list that includes awards for product innovation from Reader’s Digest, Popular Science, PC Magazine, Popular Mechanics, Sky & Telescope, the Consumer Electronics Association and more. Celestron sells and markets its products worldwide through a variety of specialty retail outlets and international distributors. Celestron is a privately held company with corporate offices and manufacturing facilities, in Torrance, CA.